Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters (unless otherwise stated) Kazuki Takahashi does, nor do I make any money from these stories.

25

As his tears fell Yugi picked up the few things he considered his and threw them in an old cloth bag, wiping his eyes and taking one final look around the room he sighed then left. He knew Atemu would be upset but he couldn't stay here and deny Egypt the heir it needed. When Atemu reached their room he immediately saw that some things were missing, Yugi's things, "YUGI!" he cried out then fell to his knees,

Mahad and Isis rushed to his side "Prince Atemu!" Mahad said "What is wrong? What has happened?"

Atemu turned tear filled eyes to him "Because of the council." He whispered brokenly "Yugi has gone."

"The council?" Isis asked, "What did they do?"

"They threatened Yugi's life."

"In what way?" Mahad asked angry at the council's interfering

"They said if I didn't marry and produce an heir they would kill him."

"But why did Yugi leave prince Atemu?" Isis asked

"He felt he was getting in the way of what Egypt needed." Atemu broke down and sobbed.

"Take him Isis while I talk to the council."

Nodding Isis held Atemu close to her and watched as Mahad stormed towards the council's meeting room.

Aknamkanon was walking to the throne room with Jahi and the other council members following him trying to persuade the pharaoh to change his mind about replacing them and he was getting angry, he was relieved when Mahad stopped him.

"Pharaoh I must speak with you!"

''What is the meaning of this interruption Mahad?" Jahi said

"Be quiet old man!" Mahad said, his voice filled with venom

"What is it Mahad?" Aknamkanon asked full of concern, he was worried he had never seen the ring bearer so angry before.

"My pharaoh I have just left a broken prince Atemu sobbing in Isis's arms."

"What has happened Mahad? What ails my son?"

The young magician sighed, "It appears that Yugi took what the council said to heart and has left the palace." He paused "Atemu is heartbroken."

"That is prince Atemu to you magician, you forget your place!" Jahi said, then he called for the guards.

Two guards arrived and bowed "My lord?"

"Take Mahad to the dungeons and chain him, we will deal with him later!"

The guards were about to grab Mahad when the voice of their pharaoh stopped them "Lay one hand on him and I will personally see to it that you are both severely punished!" the two guards fell to their knees.

Aknamkanon spoke again "Listen to me and listen well you are to ignore anything and everything any one of the council members tells you, if you are unsure come to me and ask I will not mind it."

The guards bowed low "Yes pharaoh."

"Stand up and pass that order to all the guards and tell them anyone caught disobeying this order will be treated as a traitor."

"Yes pharaoh." The guards bowed again and left.

The pharaoh turned and looked at Jahi, "As for you." He hissed,

"First you threatened my son's lover and now you dare threaten one of my priests! You may have been the head of my council but remember I am the pharaoh."

"This would never have happened in the previous pharaoh's reign, two men in love, it is an abomination, it should be outlawed, a crime punishable by death!" Jahi said

"When the gods have accepted the relationship, who are you, a mere man to go against them?"

He turned to the other council members "Do you all hold this opinion?"

The younger council members looked at each other then one of them spoke up "No pharaoh we do not, we did not want Jahi to threaten master Yugi but he rules the council with an iron hand."

He noticed the murderous looks he was getting from the old man but carried on talking, "We are not allowed an opinion."

"I see." Aknamkanon said thoughtfully he too had noticed the look.

"Bomani!" the pharaoh called

The named guard appeared and bowed before his pharaoh "You called my pharaoh?"

"Yes, please have two guards escort Jahi out of the palace, he no longer has a place on my council."

"As you command, my pharaoh." The guard said

''You cannot do this!'' Jahi shouted ''I am the council leader! Release me at once! He cried as two guards roughly grabbed him.

The pharaoh ignored Jahi as a sudden thought came to him, "Bomani can you read?"

"Yes pharaoh." He said quietly "Master Yugi has been teaching me so I can teach the children enough to learn your laws."

The pharaoh smiled, it seemed that everything eventually came down to Yugi, his look darkened as he remembered what Mahad had said.

"Bomani, if I gave you a better chance to help the people would you take it?" the pharaoh suddenly asked

"Without hesitation my pharaoh." Bomani answered

The pharaoh smiled "Escort Jahi from the palace then meet me in the throne room." he was about to address the remaining council when

Isis came rushing up to him "Pharaoh!" she cried

"What is it Isis?" he asked

"It's prince Atemu, he suddenly said he knew where Yugi was and went after him, what should we do?"

Aknamkanon smiled "Leave them, I believe that Atemu does know where Yugi is and they need time to sort out their feelings."

Isis bowed "As you command my pharaoh."

Aknamkanon smiled "That was not a command Isis, merely a request."

Atemu rode to the oasis where he'd first met Yugi and sure enough sitting under the trees was Yugi, Atemu could see that he was crying and it broke his heart, dismounting he slowly walked over to his love "Yugi." he said softly,

Yugi looked up "At…Atemu how did you know I was here?" Yugi asked wiping his eyes.

Atemu shrugged as he sat down beside the teen "I didn't really know, I just figured that as I met you here I would come here first," he paused then he asked, "Why did you leave Yugi?"

Yugi put his head down and suddenly the sand beneath him looked fascinating "Yugi?" Atemu tried again.

Yugi sighed, "The council are right Atemu I can't give you the children you need."

Atemu grabbed Yugi and pulled him into his lap "Don't you understand even if I could leave you and marry a woman I could never love her."

"You don't need to love her Atemu just have sex with her."

Atemu noticed that as Yugi had said that his tears had started to fall again.

"No Yugi I couldn't you are the only one I want." Atemu stayed quiet for a moment his head resting on top of Yugi's, Atemu suddenly spoke again "I've decided I am going to abdicate."

Yugi sat up "No Atemu!" he said in earnest "You can't. What will happen to Egypt?"

Atemu tightened his hold on Yugi "I don't give a damn about Egypt if it means I have to give you up." He said vehemently.

Yugi looked up at him "No Atemu, please reconsider, when the pharaoh passes Egypt will need a strong king, not a civil war as others try to claim the throne for themselves!"

Atemu looked down at the sand, "I can't Yugi not if you aren't with me."

Yugi slipped his arms round Atemu and buried his head in his neck while Atemu held Yugi round his waist with one arm, the other gently stroked Yugi's hair as they held on to each other tightly, "Come back Yugi." Atemu whispered, "Come back to the palace with me and I swear we'll work something out."

To Atemu's relief Yugi nodded.

Ma'at looked at Ra "Now do you understand why Yugi needs the ability to bare children?" she asked when she had finished explaining to him about Atemu and Yugi and what she'd witnessed in their rooms.

Ra stroked his chin "I think I do but if Meskhent doesn't agree then there is nothing I can do."

"But…"

"No, Ma'at, Meskhent must agree." Ra said sternly

Ma'at sighed, "Yes my lord Ra."

Ma'at bowed and left to see if she could persuade Meskhent to look favourably on Atemu and Yugi.

Hathor walked from where she had been standing in the shadows

"Don't you think you are being unfair to the young mortals?" she asked him

Ra sighed, "Hathor I cannot do anything without the other gods you know this."

"That is bull and you know it!" Hathor snapped, "All you need do is talk to Osiris, Isis, Ma'at and me and you already know how Ma'at feels."

"A man has never given birth to a child before, what would the people of Egypt think?"

Hathor sat down beside Ra, "The people would think it proof that you truly cared for Egypt and it's people enough that you would grace the future pharaoh and his male lover with the means to provide an heir for Egypt, truly a child of the gods."

Ra looked at her "What do you want me to do? Just slip a baby into Yugi's belly and say there you go?"

Hathor chuckled "No, all you have to do is allow Yugi the means to conceive and carry the baby not deliver it."

"I suppose it could work." Ra said absently

Hathor stood up "It would be better than Atemu abdicating." She said as she walked away

"WHAT!" Ra yelled, furious that the crown prince had even thought of the idea let alone voiced it,

Hathor turned back to him "Rather than lose Yugi he would abdicate the throne."

"He loves Yugi that much?" Ra asked surprised that Atemu would give up his crown for a mere commoner

"Yes he does."

Ra sighed, ''find the others and bring them here.''

Smiling Hathor bowed "As you wish Ra."

After Hathor had gone Ra waved a hand over the viewing pool to the mortal plane "Show me crown prince Atemu and Yugi." the pool cleared and Ra saw them at the oasis holding each other tightly "Show me what happened." The pool shimmered and began to show Ra what had occurred…

"Why did you leave Yugi?"

Yugi put his head down and suddenly the sand beneath him looked fascinating "Yugi?" Atemu tried again.

Yugi sighed, "The council are right Atemu I can't give you the children you need."

Atemu grabbed Yugi and pulled him into his lap "Don't you understand even if I could leave you and marry a woman I could never love her."

"You don't need to love her Atemu just have sex with her."

Atemu noticed that as Yugi had said that his tears had started to fall again.

"No Yugi I couldn't you are the only one I want." Atemu stayed quiet for a moment his head resting on top of Yugi's, Atemu suddenly spoke again "I've decided I am going to abdicate."

Yugi sat up "No Atemu!" he said in earnest "You can't. What will happen to Egypt?"

Atemu tightened his hold on Yugi "I don't give a damn about Egypt if it means I have to give you up." He said vehemently.

Yugi looked up at him "No Atemu, please reconsider, when the pharaoh passes Egypt will need a strong king, not a civil war as others try to claim the throne for themselves!"

Atemu looked down at the sand, "I can't Yugi not if you aren't with me."

Yugi slipped his arms round Atemu and buried his head in his neck while Atemu held Yugi round his waist with one arm, the other gently stroked Yugi's hair as they held on to each other tightly, "Come back Yugi." Atemu whispered, "Come back to the palace with me and I swear we'll work something out."

To Atemu's relief Yugi nodded.

As the touching scene closed Ra finally understood and smiled, Atemu was willing to give up the throne for Yugi and Yugi albeit reluctantly, was willing to give up Atemu for the good of Egypt. Now he would talk to the others with an open mind, a love like theirs should not be destroyed.

Note

Meskhent: Goddess of Childbirth and Midwifery.